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Petrified rocks sent back by visitors who stole them from park

Ryan Thompson badluckhotrocks.com

By David Stock

GUILT can be a powerful thing. Over the years, these “rocks” – actually chunks of ancient petrified trees – have proved irresistible to many light-fingered visitors to the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. Eventually, often decades later, conscience prompts some to return their “souvenirs” anonymously, along with a little note of apology.

It’s easy to see the temptation. These chunks of organic matter gain a rich, colourful beauty as minerals such as quartz, cobalt, iron and copper fill the pores of the original material over hundreds of millions of years.

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Ryan Thompson badluckhotrocks.com

So many pieces have been returned that park rangers have created a conscience pile to store them, as well as displaying some of the 1200-plus letters.

“The rocks were very appealing,” writes one visitor, “and in a moment of exuberance we took the rock with us as a memento of our trip.”

“I’m returning this rock that belongs in the forest,” writes another. “My conscience has bothered me ever since I brought it home.”

But it’s not only guilt that prompts a change of heart. These rocks hold a secret: a curse said to plague anyone who steals them. From car troubles and cat attacks to financial losses and even a plane crash, all have been attributed to the prophecy of the rocks. “The final straw was when I stepped thru the ceiling of our new house,” one letter reads.

Petrified Forest National Park Archives

Photographer Ryan Thompson, who stumbled upon the conscience pile during a trip in 2012, was interested by the “combination of humour and heartbreak in the letters”.

“I was immediately curious about the attribution of power to an inert mineral,” he says. “It’s not difficult to imagine what possesses visitors to pick up a small souvenir, but it’s a lot more interesting thinking about the reasons for their return.”

Petrified Forest National Park Archives

And Thompson admits yearning for them too. “When I arrived home after my second trip,” he says, “I purchased a few pieces of petrified wood on eBay in an attempt to satisfy the desire.”

This article appeared in print under the headline “Petrified with guilt”